You Set Me Free
by AllenxIsxLove
Summary: A collection of D.Gray-Man one-shots that I've written for my best friends.
1. I'd Come For You: Lavi

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" Talia cried, trying to catch up to me.

We were walking to the grocery store, but she had fallen behind talking on the phone with Allen. Pixie, my other best friend, was home with the flu and Kanda had stayed home to take care of her while we went to get her some medicine.

I rolled my eyes playfully at her, slowing my pace a bit. "C'mon we don't have all day."

"Sorry." She sighed, now walking along side me.

"Don't start with the apologies again."

"So—"

"Eh! What did I just say?"

Her mouth snapped shut and I couldn't help but laugh. "Just teasing you."

The rest of the walk to and from the store was full of chatter. We hadn't seen each other in awhile since we lived far away, but we were able to get together on special occasions.

Speaking of special occasions, my birthday is at the end of the week, January 17th.

Oh my God, I'll be seventeen. Never thought I'd see the day.

But at least I'll be spending it with the people I care about the most. What more could a girl ask for?

_How about to spend it with the _boy _I care about the most?_

Lavi, a member of the Bookman clan, was away with his grandfather. Stupid old man had taken him the time I wanted him around the most.

"Bella, snap out of it."

"Oh." In all my daydreaming I didn't notice we had already arrived home. I didn't even remember entering the living room and sitting on the couch between Pixie and Talia.

"You alright Bells?" Pixie asked, sneezing into a tissue Kanda had just thrown at her.

I shook my head lightly. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You just spaced out there for a moment."

"That happens to me sometimes."

"Okay."

Poor Kanda just sat there looking annoyed as we talked. He was the only guy here now, so it was hard not to feel bad for him.

Pixie caught my gaze and winked, pretty much reading my thoughts. She moved over to the chair he was sitting in and plopped herself in his lap, her head lying on his chest. "Do you wanna go home Kanda?"

He didn't respond, so she took it as a no and just cuddled up to him more. He didn't do anything, but the look in his eyes said that he didn't mind it much.

_They look so cute. I wish Lavi and I were like that._

_But we're not even dating._

"There she goes again." Talia sighed. "Daydreaming."

Pixie giggled. "I think I know the source of the daydreams." She looked up at Kanda. "Do you mind going to get me something to eat? I'm starved."

"Sure." He said. He got up and walked into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

I think he also got the hint that we wanted some time alone.

"So you really miss him, huh?" She asked, hands folded, her head resting on top of them.

I told my friends everything, so they already knew of my love for Lavi. They kept on encouraging me to tell him, but I was too afraid to tell him.

"Yeah, I do."

Talia put her hand on mine. "Well, why don't you call him up and talk to him? I'm sure he'd be glad to hear from you."

"Maybe." I bit my lip, debating if I should.

_Maybe later, cause it's getting late._

"I'll call him this week."

"Good!" Talia exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "And now I think it's time you and I went to the movies. How about we see Marley & Me? I heard that it has a sad ending though, so be prepared to cry."

************ A Few Days Later *************

"So when are you coming home?" I asked Lavi. It turned out that I never had to call him since he ended up calling me every night this week.

_I didn't realize how much I missed hearing his voice and his cheery attitude until now._

He sighed. "Gramps says we still have a lot of work to do, so probably not until the middle of next week at best."

My heart sank, all hopes of seeing him on my birthday gone. "Oh, I see."

"Yeah, sorry Bells."

"Couldn't you ask him just to let you go for this weekend? For me?"

"Sorry, but you know him. Stubborn, old panda."

My turn to sigh, "I get it, you're too busy. So I guess I'll see you next week." I didn't bother to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"I'm really sorry Bella."

"Bye, Lavi."

I hung up the phone and buried my face in my arms, refusing to let my tears of disappointment run free. But they did anyways, and I cried myself to sleep.

************* Saturday ************

At about 9:30 am I stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, expecting something. Talia always made a big breakfast on special occasions, so I hoped that she had made one of my favorites.

Instead all I arrived to was an empty kitchen. Evidence of previous cooking was left on the stove and there were recently used dishes in the sink, but no people.

But there was a note on the fridge written in Pixie's handwriting. It said:

_Dear Bells,_

_If you're reading this note then we decided not to wake you. Kanda and I are doing the shopping (if you can believe I finally got him to come with me) and Allen and Talia are…well…I'm not sure where they disappeared off to._

_Pancakes are in the oven and should still be warm since I think I left it on. Bon appetite!_

_Pixie, Talia, Allen, & Kanda_

_P.S. – Happy Birthday!_

So they had left me alone on my birthday, too caught up in their lives to even stay home for one day.

At least they remembered. Maybe we would celebrate later.

***

They still hadn't gotten home yet! And I waited all this time for them!

I paced the living room floor, trying to think of what to do.

I was home alone, on my birthday, and all my friends were too busy. How could it get much worse?

Suddenly I could hear rain pelting down on the roof, and things just did get worse.

I cried out in utter frustration and sat down on the couch, my hands covering my face.

The sound of the rain on the roof became soothing after awhile, and I remembered how I always loved to go outside and run around in it, the feel of the small water droplets hitting my face, the smell of the earth afterwards so refreshing and clean.

That sounded pretty good right about now.

Not caring that it was the middle of January, I flung open the door and ran outside into the rain. At first my skin crawled at the coldness, but after a few minutes of just standing there, my face to the sky, I became numb to the cold, so all I could feel was the rain caressing my skin.

I was concentrating on the sound and feel of the rain so much that I didn't hear someone walk up behind me, nor did I expect that stranger to put his arms around my shoulders in attempt to warm me.

I jumped suddenly at their touch, snapped out of my own world, and turned to see who it was.

My heart screamed at me when I saw the reddish hair, and then looked into his sparkling green eyes. His smile that I loved so much warmed me from the center through so that my entire body was tingling with the sensation.

His presence always seemed to do that to me.

"Lavi," I breathed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

He put on a teasing smile. "Silly, did you really think I was going to miss my Bella's birthday?"

**His Bella…**

I looked down, a frown tugging at the corners of my mouth, spoiling my moment of happiness. "I didn't think you were going to come. No one else has been around today." I murmured.

"That's because I convinced them to wait until tomorrow."

"Eh?" I looked up to see he still wore that teasing smile.

"Since I was coming back today I wanted to have you all to myself, so I called Talia and convinced her and Pixie to hold off your party for one day. Don't worry," He laughed. "They plan on holding an even bigger one now to make up for today. But I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"It's ok. Your secret's safe with me."

I smiled up at him, my wet hair in my face. But before I could move my hand to brush it away, his hand came up and moved it back, his hand resting on my cheek, the other still resting on my back.

He let go and moved my hands so one of them rested on his chest, the other he held tightly in his hand. Holding me close, we began gently swaying back and forth, dancing in the rain.

Our eyes were locked and it was so hard to look away, but I wanted to hear his heart beating, so I rested my head where his heart was and closed my eyes, concentrating on that one beautiful sound.

But I still couldn't help but feel kind of silly. "Lavi, we're dancing to no music, and in the middle of a rainstorm."

I could practically feel his huge smile as he bent over to whisper something in my ear. It turned out that he was _singing _in my ear.

**By now you know that**

**I'd come for you**

**No one but you**

**Yes I'd come for you**

**But only if you told me to**

This was _our _music, and his voice was practically melting my heart. My cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, even if my skin was cold to the touch. I didn't feel cold though, just warm all the way through, my cheek still slightly tingling from where Lavi's hand was.

**I'd fight for you**

**I'd lie it's true**

**Give my life for you**

**You know I'd always come for you**

I couldn't take it any more, my heart felt as if it was going to burst! I lifted my head and with all of the courage I could muster, I kissed him, but pulled back almost immediately, embarrassed with myself.

Though he seemed to have other thoughts. He moved his hand from the small of my back to behind my neck, pulling me forwards and kissing me passionately. The butterflies in my stomach took off and my knees began to shake a bit as I lost control of them. His lips were so soft, and his kiss better than I could ever imagine.

Lavi and I stood there for what felt like hours, locked together and kissing passionately. His last kiss thou finally sent me over the edge and I almost collapsed on the ground, if he had not caught me.

He chuckled. "If you wanted me to carry you all you had to do is ask."

"It wasn't on purpose." I pouted.

Lavi leaned his forehead against mine. "Come on, it's stopped raining. Let's go inside and dry off." He carried me inside and up to my bedroom, carefully setting me down on my feet.

I stood there nervously, hands clasped together and staring at the floor. He came over and tilted my chin up so I faced him, and he kissed my forehead before taking my face gently in his hands and kissing me again.

The next thing I knew we were curled up in bed together, our wet clothes discarded on the floor. Everything was happening so fast that it was hard to keep up, but I was happy. Lavi kept whispering in my ear the entire night, and I knew he meant every word he said to me.

Because he loved me, and I loved him.

This had to be the best birthday ever.


	2. A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words: Lavi

"Cotton candy! Come and get your cotton candy here!" Yelled the salesman. Bella and Lavi walked up to him.

Lavi dug a few dollar bills out of his pocket and handed it to the man, pointing to a large bag of pink, fluffy sugar. He smiled and nodded, taking the bag down and handing it to the couple.

"Thank you." She said with a smile on her face. Bella loved cotton candy, which is why he bought it for her.

"You're welcome ma'am. Have a fun day at the carnival!" He called after them as they walked away.

Today was the fourth of July carnival, and almost everyone in town was attending it, or it seemed so, judging by how large the crowds were. Lines had formed at almost every ride, varying from the young to the young at heart. Laughter and music could be heard coming from every direction, and the sweet aroma of dough boys, cotton candy, and hot dogs filled the air.

Bella turned her head in every direction, absorbing in all the sites to see while munching on her cotton candy. She had been looking forward to this for quite some time now, and Lavi, her best friend and secret crush, had graciously volunteered to be her escort. That day couldn't have gotten a whole lot better, or so she thought.

"Hey Bella-chan, what would you like to do next?" Lavi's voice snapped her out of her daydream.

She just stood there for a moment, undecided. There were so many fun things to do that she hardly knew where to start. That's when it hit her, and a wide smile spread across her beautiful face in excitement.

"I want to go on the roller coaster!" Bella said, practically yelling. She jumped up and down in excitement, grabbing his hand and pulling him along. Roller coasters were her favorite rides in the entire world.

He followed her until they reached the line, which surprisingly wasn't too long. It only took about ten minutes to get through it, and all the while they chatted away lightly, talking about what their plans for the summer were.

When Lavi and Bella were at the front of the line, the man in charge of the roller coaster led them to their car up front and helped them buckle their safety straps. The ride began slowly with the train ascending to the top of the steep slope, paused for a minute, and **Woosh!**, they rapidly descended, almost going straight downwards. Screams could be heard from the people in the cars behind them, and some ahead had their arms raised in the air. Bella could only laugh, making Lavi turned his head slightly and stared at her as if she was insane, but she wasn't. She was just having fun.

The train arrived back to its starting point, and the passengers were allowed to unbuckle and get out of their cars. Lavi, trying to be a gentleman, got out first and offered Bella his hand in assistance. She got out and together they walked down to the gift shop where he bought her a white stuffed tiger.

They continued to walk around for the rest of the afternoon, occasionally stopping at a game table, concession stand, or waiting through another line to get on a ride. Soon, the sun had set and the lights on the rides were turning on. The sight was beautiful, all the white lights strung across the gaps between stands, and the ones on the rides flashed assorted colors, forming patterns.

Large groups of people began disappearing, walking up towards the hill with blankets, chairs, food, and drinks.

"Lavi, where is everyone going?" Bella asked, confused.

He laughed, leading her towards the hill along with everyone else. "To see the fireworks, silly. It's not the fourth of July without fireworks." He choose a spot underneath a weeping willow and sat down, pulling her sharply downwards to sit in his lap.

Bella's cheeks flushed a shade of light pink, but the dark helped to cover it up some. She pulled her tiger closer, hugging it closely to her chest and leaning her head against Lavi's chest, eyes closed and comfortable. He froze for a second, but then relaxed and moved his arms around her, smiling warmly.

A white flash blinded them, and they thought it was the fireworks beginning, but they looked up to see a girl holding a Polaroid camera up and taking out the picture she had just taken of them.

"Awww, you two look so cute together! Here," She handed over the photograph. "You can have it as a remembrance."

"Thanks." Lavi replied, and the girl just waved back as she went to rejoin her family.

"Can I see it?" Bella pulled it from is hand and flipped it right side up, examining it thoroughly. They both looked so happy and at ease in the picture.

**Boom! **One of the fireworks went off, sending red sparks shooting through the air. Everyone began clapping and cheering, glad it had finally began. She decided to join in and cheered also, making Lavi laugh at her enthusiasm.

He looked at her, slightly nervous. Bella noticed his gaze had fallen on her and she turned to see if everything was alright. They came into eye contact, and everything clicked, falling into place. His hand gently brushed her soft cheek, stroking across her lips. Both moved forward, tilting their heads, until their lips met. The picture slid from her hand and the tiger from her lap as Lavi pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck, making the kiss deeper and even more passionate. When they finally pulled away for a breath, more fireworks exploded in the background, already almost at their end. They kissed again, even more passionately, as the grand finale lit up the sky and brought that wonderful day to an end.


	3. Dancing At Midnight: Lavi

"Finally, spring break!"Lavi cried happily. "I thought it would never come!"

You and Lavi were heading over to the ice cream shop. It was your tradition to go there every friday afternoon, especially before vacation.

"I know what you mean." You said. "But this time, you're buying!" You playfully punched his arm and ran off laughing.

He laughed also, chasing after you. "Bella-chan, wait for me!" But you were too fast for him, and he arrived there after you did. "No, fair, you got a head start."

"Ha ha, yes it is fair. You should have seen that coming."

He mumbled. "Yeah, whatever." He grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you over to a table next to the window. The place was quite full, as usual. Every wall had a different poster on it, advertising everything from every flavor imaginable to the flavor of the week. Across the room from where the two of you were was the ordering counter.

But you tow didn't have to get up, a waitress was there almost instantly. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Two strawberry ice creams please." Lavi ordered for you, always getting you something different each time.

"Alright, It'll be here in a minute." The waitress smiled at you and then hurried off to get your orders.

"So, how's Bella today?" Lavi asked, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. He was always so relaxed.

You smiled back at him. "Great, now that vacation is here. What do you have planned?"

"His expression twisted. "Bookman is making me work, but I still have most of the afternoons off." Lavi didn't seem to excited about working since he tended to be a slacker sometimes. That, and he loved to sleep, so mornings didn't agree with him.

"I see. Well, I think the work will do you some good." You smirked.

"Hey, who's side are you on?!?" He practically yelled. Everyone inside the little ice cream shop turned from their food and looked at the two of you.

"Smooth one, pirate patch." You grumbled, sliding farther into your seat. You hated being stared at.

The waitress came back over, two strawberry ice creams in hand, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the table.

She placed them down in front of the two of you, and walked away. Obviously she didn't like the previous disturbance.

"Finally, I was getting hungry!" Lavi dug in, thoroughly enjoying himself, and not caring who saw.

Half an hour later the previous conversation had long been forgotten and the two of you were back to chatting. Before you knew it, he had walked you to your front doorstep.

"I'll see you later, Bella-chan." He called, walking over to his house. He only lived a couple houses down the road.

For the next few days, Lavi didn't show. Usually he showed up at your house for breakfast, and then you would head out to search the town for entertainment, which sometimes entailed dragging poor Allen and Kanda along for the ride. But he never showed, and you began to worry.

"Bookman is just working him hard, as usual, that's all. He'll come."

Three more days passed, and still no Lavi. You began to worry.

That night, you crawled into bed, and turned on some music, the CD he had made you. But just as your eyelids felt too heavy to keep open, a tapping noise came from the window.

You sighed, trying to drown out the noise, just assuming it was a tree branch tapping against the window. But it persisted, the tapping noises coming more frequently. Sighing, you got up and opened the window, looking downwards. Lavi was standing there, his hand full of pebbles.

He dropped them when he saw you had come. "Hey," He called, only loud enough for you to hear.

"What are you doing here?" You asked, voice full of ice. "I thought you were busy."

He cringed a bit at the harshness in your voice. "I was busy, and I'm sorry I couldn't come and see you."

You backed away from the window. "Right. Go home Lavi." The window slammed shut.

"I thought this might happen." He muttered.

Lavi walked over to the tree, grabbing the lowest branch and working his was up to the top. He climbed over to your window and pulled it open, tumbling through onto the floor.

"Wh-what are you doing?" You stuttered, not expecting even him to be so bold as to come into your room.

He just smiled, his white teeth flashing. "Is that the CD I made you playing? So you can't be so mad at me, can you?"

You scowled, and he just laughed, turning it up louder. His right hand found yours, and his left wrapped itself around your waist. "Dance with me, please." He pleaded.

"Oh, alright." You gave in. But something seemed different about Lavi. You couldn't put your finger on it, but his eyes sparkled like they never had before, and a hidden meaning seemed to lie behind them.

The song changed, and your movements changed along with it. Without breaking eye contact, your arms wrapped themselves around Lavi's neck, and his other hand grasped your waist, making the distance between the two of you invisible.

"Bella" He whispered, very slowly leaning closer.

"Hm?"

"I--" He was cut off as your lips met. His grasp on you increased, not wanting to let you go. But eventually, you had to pull back for air.

"What were you going to say?" You questioned.

He smiled. "That I love you."

"I love you too."

His soft lips crashed against yours once again, longer this time. The two of you were practically gasping for air afterwards.

You swayed unsteadily, but Lavi's grasp on your waist held you steady. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just tired." You mumbled, and then looked up to him. "Would you.....never mind."

"What? Would I what?"

"Well, would you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?

"Sure" he smiled.


	4. Always In My Thoughts: Kanda

"_Here it is! Here it is!" Cried one of the finders. He appeared out of a giant stack of mail that was sitting on the floor in Komui's office. "The letter from the general."_

_The chief, who was too busy drinking coffee and pretending to examine his paperwork, was sitting on top of the desk. "Let me see it."_

_He was handed a white envelope addressed to him from General Tiedoll._

_Dear Chief Komui,_

_I'm sending my most recent student, Layanora, to the Order to complete her training as an exorcist. She is a most wonderful student and a very shy, sweet girl, but has a strong heart and is a skilled fighter. Please take very good care of her._

_Froi Tiedoll_

"Well, looks like we're going to have a new addition to our family soon." Komui said excitedly.

The finder hesitated. "Um sir, the date on that letter says that it arrived a week ago."

"WHAT?! That means she could be here at any minute!!" He yelled, jumping up and running around the room. "We need to prepare a welcoming party for her, and tell everyone she's coming, and…."

He continued to rant on, not knowing that Allen and Lavi had jest entered the room.

"What's wrong Komui?" Asked Allen.

"He doesn't usually act like this unless he hears rumors about Lenalee."

Komui began crying. "Stop it Lavi!"

Everyone laughed, unaware of the fourth person who entered the room.

She stood there quietly, observing everyone from beside the door through midnight blue eyes. Her hair was black, the blue and red highlights complementing her eyes very nicely. The reason that they didn't see her was probably because she was trying not to attract attention to herself, explaining why she tried to make herself seem so small when in reality she was a beautiful, strong young woman.

But she was new here, didn't know anyone, and the person she would be taking orders from now was freaking out; that was enough to make anyone a little nervous in a strange place.

Finally the boy with the white hair turned, sensing her presence. She kept herself from gasping when she saw his face marked with a scar going down his left eye, completely caught off guard.

"Hello," He said very politely, giving her a warm smile that she couldn't help but return. "Who're you?"

"I'm Layanora, the new exorcist." She said quietly.

The red headed older boy looked back as well, stepping aside so Komui could see her.

"Layanora! Y-you're here!" The chief came over and extended a hand in greeting. "I'm Chief Komui, and these two are Allen and Lavi."

"Hello." She said, giving a small wave. They both smiled back, curiosity shining in their eyes.

Lavi, who seemed to be the red head, stepped a bit closer, examining her. "Welcome to the Black Order."

The other teen, Allen, just smiled welcomingly, "We can show you around if you like. I know how tough it is to be the new person, since I was not that long ago."

"Um, sure." She said, a little embarrassed, but quite thankful to be making friends already. "That would be nice."

"Now, now," Komui cut in. "she needs to meet the generals and Hevlaska. But there will be time afterwards when you can show her around."

"Alright, so I guess we'll see you later Layanora." Lavi winked at her, making her blush slightly.

They left the room, chatting away like old friends. For all she knew they were.

"Well, let's go, shall we?"

-------------------------Later That Day------------------------

Layanora, Lavi, and Allen were walking down the halls, the two boys pointing out the main rooms on different floors. They were currently heading toward the cafeteria; their second to last stop. It was around dinnertime so they were going to eat together, plus a girl named Lenalee would be joining them.

They walked up to the counter to order their food. A strong-looking man with white braided hair and a chef hat stood behind it, smiling at everyone.

"Oh! Our new exorcist, how cute!" He leaned forward to get a better look at her. "I'm Jerry, the chef, just ask and I'll cook you anything!"

"Thank you, but, just a salad please. I'm not that hungry at the moment."

"Sure thing, it'll be ready in a minute."

He went off to prepare her meal, disappearing into the back of the kitchen, which she saw lay behind the counter.

Jerry was back within a few minutes; he had to be the fastest chef she had ever seen.

"Bon appetite!"

The boys quickly ordered their food, Allen's already prepared since he appeared to eat a LOT. Seriously, it looked like he ate enough to feed a small army, no exaggerating.

They all sat at a table towards the center of the room, all the other tables being taken.

"So Layanora, how did the meeting with the generals and Hevelaska go?" Lavi asked.

"Hm," She swallowed a bite of her salad before speaking. "It was okay. Someone could have warned me though before I saw Hevlaska."

"It's okay, I freaked out the same time I saw Hevlaska." Allen smiled reassuringly.

Just then a girl looking about the age of seventeen sat down next to her. She had short, black hair and purple eyes.

"Hi, I'm guessing that you're Layanora, my brother told me about you. I'm Lenalee."

"Hi." She said, a bit confused. "Your…brother?"

Lenalee smiled. "Komui is my older brother."

"Oh."

"So I assume that you've gotten a tour?"

"Yeah, this place is quite amazing."

Lenalee sighed. "When do you go on your first mission?"

"Um…" Layanora had no idea when she would. It was still her first day, but that didn't mean that there wasn't work to be done.

----------------------The Next Day-------------------------

"Layanora, I want you and Kanda to go to France to search for a fragment of innocence." Komui said, pushing up his glasses so they didn't fall of his face.

_Kanda…?_

She hadn't met him yet.

He noticed her look of confusion and explained. "He's been away on another mission, but he got back yesterday evening. I think that it would be best if he accompanied you."

"Okay. When do we leave?"

"As soon as Kanda…"

The door to the office burst open, revealing a boy looking to be about the age of eighteen. His hair was long and black, tied up in a ponytail. He wore an exorcist's uniform, but he also had a Japanese sword handing from his belt. His expression was sour, both ends of his lips turned down in a small frown, his eyes clearly showing that he wasn't in the best of moods.

But in a way, it sort of suited him, and he was quite handsome.

"What is it now?" He demanded curtly, ignoring the fact that he was speaking to his boss.

She flinched at his harsh voice, not expecting that.

"Your next mission. You will be working with Layanore here," He motioned to her. "And you will be going to France."

"Che. I'm fine working alone."

"This isn't a request Kanda, it's an order."

Layanora had the strangest feeling that things weren't going to go as she expected them to.

--------------------Sometime After The Mission----------------------

Layanora walked through the halls with her new best friend Lenalee. Since she had come to the Order, the two girls had gotten along really well. Komui also seemed pleased that his little sister had a girl friend.

"So Layanora," She began, smiling to herself. "How much do you really like Kanda?"

"W-what?" She asked, flustered, her face turning red. "Why?"

"Oh, I already know you like him, I'm just not sure how much." She looked around, trying to avoid the other girl's gaze.

"Well, I'm not sure? He can be so harsh and cruel. But…if you look deep down, some part of him that he represses does care, sort of." Her hands clasped together nervously, staring at the ground at her feet.

Lenalee smiled. "Yeah, there is a part of him that's like that, even if it's hard to see. Not many people notice, especially if they haven't known him for a long time like I have."

"But he's still not the type who would date, he's an exorcist and isn't very open to anyone." Layanora sighed. "Me feelings are pointless."

"Never say that." Lenalee stopped her, looking directly into her friend's eyes. "They're not pointless. You haven't even tried yet. Keep your chin up and gather some courage; try telling Kanda."

Layanora remained silent as they started walking again, going to join Komui in his office so she could receive her next mission.

Little did they both know that Kanda wasn't that far away and had heard their entire conversation. He walked away in a huff, trying to ignore everything he just heard.

But her words wouldn't leave his mind.

-----------------------------------------

We're working together…again.

They sat on the train, alone in the empty car. The silence was awkward, making her fidget in her seat.

Kanda stared out the window, probably thinking.

Layanora lay stretched out on the seat, eyes closed, debating on what to do. The mission that they were sent on wasn't all that difficult, so she still couldn't figure out why Komui felt the need to send the both of them.

Lenalee probably told him, and they arranged this together.

She made a face, scrunching up her nose and snorting in disapproval.

Great.

Soon enough they arrived at their destination and began the search for the innocence. So far no akuma had been spotted in the area, so hopefully they wouldn't be showing up anytime soon.

Layanora decided to search the left side of town, so she headed off by herself. Surprisingly, Kanda was following her. She kept on going, but he didn't make any moves to leave her.

"Why are you following me?" She asked, stopping and looking back at him.

He just stood still and silent, giving her a look. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"N-no, I just didn't think you would want to stay with me. You're distant from everyone, so what would make me so special?"

"Che." He strode forward and stood in front of her, towering over her small figure. "I don't know. You're so annoying, how you won't even leave me alone in my thoughts."

"Wha—"

She was cut off when he kissed her roughly, shoving her against the wall of a nearby building.

His kisses were rough and breathtaking, but made the butterflies in her stomach go wild. Her skin felt electric wherever he touched her, sending such a sensational feeling through her body, her heart thudding in her chest.

Layanora wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing back with equal passion. This moment felt so amazing that she didn't want it to end.

But everything comes to an end eventually. Kanda released her from being pinned to the wall, but still held onto her. He pulled her along roughly.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, still recovering from the shock.

"Someplace where we can be alone for awhile."


	5. Our New Home: Lavi

"Yatta! It's about time!!" Pixie and I screamed.

The three of us were walking into our new home. We had decided that instead of living with our parents we would live together in our own house with no parents to bother us. Plus the guys could come over whenever they wanted.

"This is so exciting!" You exclaimed, picking up a box from the moving truck and taking it inside. "This place is so big and beautiful."

Pixie followed you. "I know it's awesome! Who knew that we could get a place like this for so cheap?"

"Heeeey girls, how's the moving com--woah Bella, nice hair! It's sexy!" Lavi yelled.

You blushed, trying to hide behind the box in your hands. "Um, thanks."

"Awww look Lavi, you embarrassed her. She's blushing like mad." I cooed.

Pixie just laughed, dancing out the door to grab the next box.

I tapped my foot impatiently. "And how come you boys are just standing there while we girls do all the work, hm?"

"Yeah!" Pixie shouted. "You're supposed to be strong, so get to work!"

Allen and Kanda had just arrived and were standing behind Lavi. Pixie grabbed Kanda by the arm and forcefully dragged him out the door to the moving truck, filling his arms with as many boxes as possible.

Allen smiled gently and followed me out the door, always being the gentleman. Lavi remained with you though.

"Well, shall we go too?" He questioned.

"Um, sure."

You followed him to the door and he opened it for you like a real gentleman. You mumbled thanks and your cheeks turned a light shade of rosy pink, and he just chuckled to himself.

"You're so cute Bella-chan."

That didn't help the blush one bit.

All six of were able to get the boxes inside by the time it got dark. Sighing, I leaned against the bar in the kitchen. "Gosh I'm starved. Who wants to go out to eat?"

"I believe I saw a pizzeria in town that should be open now." Allen pitched in. "We can go there and hang out for awhile."

"Sounds good to me!" Pixie smiled.

"Che, whatever." Kanda said. Pixie nudged him and he gave her a look."

You shook your head. "No thanks, I don't feel all that great, so I'll just stay here. You guys go and have fun."

Lavi went and stood next to you. "The four of you go, I'll stay behind with Bella and make sure she's ok."

"Are you sure Bella? We could always stay........"

"No! It's ok, really, just go. We'll have plenty of time later to go out together." You smiled reassuringly, but blushed when Lavi put his arm around your shoulders and nodded in agreement.

Pixie got the hint from him and nodded. "Okay you two, don't have too much fun while we're gone." She dashed out the door with Kanda, but not before winking back.

Allen grabbed me by the waist and began pulling me out the door. "C'mon Candy, she'll be fine with Lavi here."

"I know, but," I turned back to you. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call my cell....."

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not a little kid Candy, I'm older than you. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, but..." Allen kissed the top of my head and finally yanked me out the door.

Now it was just you and Lavi left at the house. Alone. You took some medicine to help your headache and got to work on taking your boxes to your room.

"Need some help?" He offered. You shoved a couple of heavy boxes into his arms.

"My room is the first on the right."

The two of you successfully moved all of your boxes to your room. Your clothes boxes were next to your new vanity dresser, blankets and pillows were stacked on your bare mattress, and everything else was just stacked up against the wall.

"You sure have a lot of stuff, don't you?" Lavi commented.

You nodded. "Yeah, and I never noticed it until now. It was a lot to pack, and I have a feeling that it will take a while to unpack."

He laughed. "Not while I'm here." He opened one of the boxes that contained your books and began placing them on the shelves. You quickly took your clothes and stuffed them in the dresser, not wanting Lavi to see certain things.

Afterwards, since it was getting late, you decided to make your bed. Simple enough. First the sheets, then your favorite blankets, and lastly you fluffed your pillows and placed them at the head of your bed. Stepping back and admiring your handiwork, you bumped into Lavi's chest.

"Nice job." He commented, smiling.

"Thanks. Did you put away all of my books?"

"Yep, they're right over there." He pointed over to the shelf by the window. You leaned over to look at it when you mysteriously tripped over something. The next thing you knew, Lavi and you were tumbling over right on to the bed.

"Oomf!" You said. Opening your eyes, you noticed that Lavi had landed on top of you, and he was smiling. "What's the smile for?"

"Oh, I dunno. This?" He leaned a bit closer.

"Wha--" You were about to ask him but instead his lips crashed against yours and you instantly responded, kissing him back. It soon became a battle of dominance as his tongue explored every crevasse in your mouth.

You moaned as he began to kiss down your jaw line and to your neck, trying to find your soft spot. He could tell when he found it because your moans became louder, making him smirk. Lavi's hands went up the back of your shirt, forcefully tugging it up with them so that it came off. You got the hint and glad fully removed his shirt as well. Soon a pile of clothing began to form on the floor and it was surprising that the neighbors couldn't hear the two of you.

We came home around 11 that night, but Pixie and I quickly exited the house before the boys left.

"Nani? What's wrong you two?" Allen asked.

I blushed. "Um, do you guys mind if we stay over at your house tonight? We're not gonna be able to sleep with those two in the room next door making all that noise."


	6. Secret Crush: Lavi

"_Lavviiii!" I cried, running to catch up with him. "When are you gonna—"_

_He turned and looked annoyed. "Will you stop asking me that?!?"_

"_Nani?" I skidded to a stop when you and Pixie walked over to join me. My face had a hurt look on it._

"_Gomen, I didn't mean to yell." He came over and patted me on the head, then turned to you two. "How's it going ladies?" He flashed his blinding smile, but kept his eyes on you._

_Pixie mumbled incoherent things about how much she hated school and it being so early in the morning._

"_But at least today's Friday." I reminded her as we began to walk to school again._

"_Yeah, but still, it sucks." She sighed._

_Lavi smirked and bumped his shoulder into yours. "So how is Bella?"_

_You smiled up at him. "Bella is good, just a bit tired. I stayed up late watching The Dark Knight last night and it's taking its toll on me."_

_He laughed lightly. "Baka, you should stop doing that on school nights and save it for the weekend."_

"_But I can't help it! That movie is soooo good!" You almost wailed._

_His arm wrapped around your shoulders. "Awww, poor Bella-chan. C'mon slow poke, we're falling behind. And we don't want to be late, do we?" It was true; the two of you had fallen a few yards behind the group while talking. You hurried to follow us into the school courtyard before the bell rang._

_When you rejoined us Kanda and Allen had come over. Allen immediately went to my side and wrapped his arms around my waist, making me blush considerably. Kanda was with Pixie and held her almost possessively. They were having their own discussion, probably plans for the weekend._

"_So Bella, what do you have planned?" Allen asked._

_I glanced at Lavi, but he shook his head lightly._

"_Ano, I don't know yet. I was thinking of just inviting Pixie and Candy over as I usually do."Pixie and I exchanged glances. "What?" You asked._

"_Um…." She began._

"_We already have plans." Allen finished, looking apologetic. "Candy is coming over to my house for dinner and to spend some time together."_

"_And Pixie and I are going to the movies." As he said that, Kanda pulled her closer to his chest so that her head was leaning up against it. It was obvious that she was not going to be able to get out of it._

"_Oh, okay." You said a little disappointed._

"_But Lavi has something to tell you!" I quickly said before the bell rang and ran for my locker, Allen, Kanda, and Pixie following closely behind._

"_Nande? What is she talking about?" You looked up to Lavi._

_He grabbed your arm and towed you into the building, still confused. "Well, there's a guy in school that likes you, and he wanted me to tell you."_

_You just stood there for a moment, and then opened your locker. "Really?"_

"_Yeah." He smirked again. "But, I will only tell you if you do something for me. Since you like movies so much, I want you to watch Mirrors with me tonight at my house. I don't feel like watching it alone."_

"_Eh?" You had heard that Mirrors was a very scary movie, so you hesitated for a moment._

_Lavi noticed and reassured you. "Don't worry, if it's too scary for you then I'll hold your hand."_

_That made you blush. "Okay, but you have to tell me afterwards!"_

"_Hai, hai, I will. Come on, the next bell is about to ring._

_*************************************_

_You now stood before Lavi's house, waiting for him to answer the door. It was about 7 p.m. and was getting a bit chilly out, so your arms were wrapped around your chest in attempt to keep some of your body heat._

_He finally opened the door and ushered you inside._

"_You know, you could have just walked in. I wouldn't have minded."_

_You mentally slapped yourself because you didn't even think of that._

_Taking a look around, you observed the familiarity of the downstairs of his house. You had been here plenty of times, hanging out with all of your friends. This was a first, coming here by yourself. Just you and him. Alone._

"_Well, are you coming?" He motioned to up the stairs._

"_Um, okay." You grabbed a hold of the railing and followed him up, taking in the new sites. The upstairs was just as elegant as the downstairs. You wondered why he brought you up here._

_Then you saw why. At the end of the hall was his room, and the TV was all set up for the movie. He even had a large bowl of popcorn and candy waiting. The windows were covered over with black fabric even though it was dark outside to ensure no light got in. It was sort of like a mini movie theatre, except with a bed instead of seats._

_He patted the bed next to you. "Ready to start?"_

_**************************************_

"_That was actually pretty good!" You said after the movie was finished. Though through some parts you had buried your head in Lavi's chest, he kept true to his word that he would hold your hand throughout the film._

"_See? It wasn't bad. Now I guess it's my turn to hold up my end of the bargain, huh?" He smiled and stared into your eyes, freezing you in place._

"_Um….yeah." You stuttered. "So who is it at school that has a crush on me?" Lavi smirked, and your cheeks heated up. Now everything that Candy had been subtly been hinting made sense. _

_The next thing you knew he had flipped you over so that he hovered above you, his hair lightly brushing your face. His lips crashed against yours and his tongue pried into your mouth as you gasped._

_Fighting to get back into the present, you cleared your mind and wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him back, making it deeper. Lavi moaned, kissing you more forcefully. He laid on top of you now so that part of his body weight was on you, and your back arched to meet him, wanting to feel him as close to you as possible. The kissing turned into a complete make-out session as his fingers played with the bottom of your shirt, making you shutter at the sudden warmth of his fingers toughing the sensitive skin of your stomach._

_You moaned his name. "Lavi, not now please." He broke off the kiss and buried his head in the crease of your neck, lightly licking the skin._

"_Later. Right now, let's sleep." Lavi pulled the blanked from underneath you and covered the two of you. He entwined his legs with yours, wrapped his arms around you, and fell asleep._


	7. A Walk In The Park: Lavi

"Mmmm, I don't wanna get up!" I moaned, kicking the hand that just grabbed my foot in attempt to pull me out of bed.

Wait…who was it that was touching me??

I lifted the blanket enough so I could see through a small hole and peered down towards the end of the bed. There stood a familiar red-headed boy wearing only his boxers and the patch on his eye. His face lit up when he knew I was looking and game me a huge smile.

I should have known.

" 'Morning Sleeping Beauty! It's time to get up!" Lavi said. He emphasized his point by opening the curtains.

"Nuuuuu!" I cried childishly, pulling the blanket back down. "The light! It burnsss~"

"Tisk tisk Bella-chan. I wouldn't have kept you up so late if I had known you be like this. Am I going to have to kick you out?"

Sighing, I released my grip and let him remove the blanket. Lavi sat next to me and began stroking my hair as I stared up at him, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes.

He chuckled. "That's better." After kissing my forehead, and then my lips, he got up and tossed one of his shirts and my underwear at me. "At least put something on before you come down to breakfast. Talia came over and made your favorite, so hurry up before it gets cold!"

I threw on the clothes and dashed out the door after him, jumping on his back to give him a delayed kiss on the cheek. He hummed happily when I did so.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked when he sat me down at the table.

"I dunno, what do you feel like doing?" Talia said.

"I dunno…" I contemplated the possibilities while we ate. "How about something random we haven't done in awhile. Like…going swimming at the lake? Or…shopping?"

"There's always good ole video games and movies with extra-buttery popcorn." She added.

I smiled. "I know what we can do."

------------------------

"Weeeeee!!" I cried, running down the cement path. "We haven't been here in ages!"

Lavi smirked at your reaction. "This is the park Bella, it's not like you can't come here whenever you want."

"Eh, but I forgot about it until now, so shush." I ran over to the play area and climbed the wooden ladder up to the monkey bars and swung across. Landing on the other side I ran across the bridge and up another mini wood ladder to the slide and went down.

Between my size and the slide's, the ride didn't last long, nor was it as fast as I remembered.

So I just shrugged, tossed off my sneakers and socks, and climbed the slide to do it over again.

That amusement only lasted for a few minutes. My attention span restarted and my eyes focused on the swings where Lavi sat looking at me.

I smiled and sauntered over to meet him, swaying my hips in a suggestive manor. He rose his eyebrow and looked my body over, my black skinny jeans and tight purple tube top leaving nothing to the imagination.

I sat on his lap and pushed myself up against his chest so I wouldn't slide off. Our cheeks brushed against each other, the warmness of skin and electrifying sensation of desire sparking in my blood.

Oh the things he did to me.

I would never stop loving him.

I clung to the chains as Lavi began to swing us. It was so relaxing that I just zoned out and forgot I had to keep my balance….

Until I slid off his lap. THAT was a wake-up call.

"You alright babe?" He asked, trying not to laugh. I just sat there and pouted, embarrassed. "Aw, c'mon."

Lavi wrapped his arms around me and lifted me from the ground, sitting me on a swing.

"Now hold on this time."

He grabbed the chains below where my hands were and pulled me back. I gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I thought you wanted to swing."

He let go and pushed me forward, making me go higher and higher. Within a couple of minutes I was smiling and laughing with him.

We talked, and he stopped pushing me so I could get down.

Lavi walked in front of me and grabbed my hands, pushing himself against me. "You know…this was actually fun. We should do this more often."

"Yeah." I said softly, mesmerized by the loving look he was giving me.

His soft lips crashed down on mine and sent butterflies through my whole body. My limbs began to act of their own accord as my arms wrapped around his neck to deepen the kiss. He smiled and bit my bottom lip as I moaned, asking for entrance. I gave it to him willingly and his tongue explored, pinning my tongue to the top of my mouth so I couldn't fight back.

Lavi's hands gripped my hips tightly, sliding underneath my shirt as his thumbs rubbed my skin. He pushed me back against the pole of the swing set and followed so he was up against me again and kissed me roughly, trailing kisses down my neck and jaw line, then back up to my ear and nibbled the lobe.

I was helpless against him. And he knew it. That was one of the reasons he enjoyed this so much.

I pulled away from another intoxicating kiss, panting heavily. I looked into his uncovered eye and mimicked his smile. He laughed.

"I love you, Bella. Don't forget that."

"Hm, I know." I said, resting my head against his shoulder.

The air became quiet as he expected me to say something too.

"I love you too." I said quickly and kissed his nose before running away. I felt his dirty playful glare on my back before I heard his footsteps. I laughed insanely but couldn't stop running.

"Hey! Come back here you!"


	8. Christmas Mistletoe: Allen

I ran through the hall, feet pounding against the stone floor. Kanda, a fellow exorcist, was chasing me down. Apparently he didn't think the Santa hat I put on him was cute.

"Oi! Get back here!" He yelled, sword in hand, ready to dice me to pieces.

"C'mon, it looked cute on you!"

"Tch, I'll kill you for that!"

Looking back over my shoulder I discovered that he was right behind me, ready to strike.

My running had grown slow as my energy wore down, so all I could do now was close my eyes and accept my punishment.

Except it never came; someone had pulled me into a room before he could get to me.

I collapsed on the floor panting, sitting on someone's lap. Their warm hands still clung on to my petite waist, holding me to their chest.

"Ah, that was a close one." He said.

I turned my head and saw Allen was the person I was sitting on. He smiled at me, looking directly into my eyes.

"Thanks Allen, I thought Kanda was going to kill me."

"No problem Talia-chan. I'm glad that you're all right."

Timcanpy, Allen's golem, was frantically flying around our heads. I just laughed at him and held out my hand so he could rest in my palm. "You've gotten so big Tim."

"Yeah," Allen said. "He keeps on growing. I'm not sure how big he's going to get though." He scratched his head, trying to remember the last time Tim was big.

I smiled, cuddling Tim against my cheek. That's when reality hit me and I remembered that I was still sitting on Allen. "Oh! Sorry Allen." I got up and turned to face him, helping him up also.

"It's okay."

My cheeks turned a light shade of pink, burning with shame and embarrassment. "I guess I shouldn't bother Kanda for awhile, huh?"

He laughed. "No, I wouldn't advise it." Allen took my hand, lacing our fingers, smiling. "Would you like to get something to eat with me? I heard Jerry made some delicious Christmas cookies!"

_That sounds like Allen, thinking with his stomach when it comes to food._

"Sure, sounds good!"

**************************

We exited the cafeteria an hour later, laughing really hard. Lavi had met up with us not too long after we got there and told us some of his hilarious Christmas stories.

Thank goodness Kanda didn't make himself present; he might have started the hunt again.

Allen and I walked down the hall hand-in-hand, a hushed silence falling over us.

He stopped half-way to my room, turning me to face him. "Talia, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."

"Hm? What is it Allen-kun?"

He took a step closer, a hand on my waist, and mine on his chest, now the only things keeping our bodies from touching. "I-I wanted to say that I—"

He looked up, a surprised expression crossing his beautiful features. I looked up as well, seeing Timcanpy hovering a few feet above us with mistletoe dangling from his mouth.

I smiled, leaning in to close the distance, our lips gently brushing before we kissed. Electricity jolted through my entire body, and I'm pretty sure transmitted through Allen too. My fingers ran through the back of his white hair, tangling them and pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Allen tightly gripped my waist to pull me as close as he could, his embrace warm and welcoming.

We pulled apart after what felt like hours, but had only been maybe a minute. He brushed his soft cheek against mine, and then pressed his forehead to mine.

"I love you too." I said. "Merry Christmas, Allen."


End file.
